Cat Scared of New Cat

[serpounce3087]

I adopted a stray I found at the beginning of January, and his name’s Jonesy. I already had 3 cats in the house, so I was worried about how well everyone would get along.

Jonesy is very sweet and doesn’t seem to have an issue with the others at all. At first my two youngest (both just under a year) were afraid of him and hissed a lot. But now all three do great together. They rough house but I can tell it’s all just play. They’ve even started grooming each other a bit.

However, my oldest cat, Susie (3.5 years old), isn’t Jonesy’s biggest fan. She does really well when he is in the same room but isn’t paying attention to her. She doesn’t act afraid or aggressive, and barely notices him. For the first couple of months they both just kept their distance and did just fine.

Lately though, Jonesy has gotten less shy with Susie and will approach her frequently, which Susie makes very clear she is not ok with. I don’t think he is trying to be aggressive when he approaches. I think he just wants to play like he does with the kittens, but Susie just loses her mind if he even comes close to her.

In recent days the drama has ramped up a bit because now Jonesy has been approaching her more and when Susie tries to run away from him, he will follow and chase her. Again, it looks like he’s just being playful and isn’t trying to be mean, but Susie is just not having any of it. I worry he’s going to push her too far and they’ll get into a legit cat fight. Susie already makes some seriously scary noises and swipes at him a lot, but he mostly seems unfazed and doesn’t really get the message. He’s gotten more persistent.

Should I be worried about the recent developments or is this just a normal part of new roomies working things out? I’ve read that it can sometimes take up to an entire year before new cats will get totally comfortable with each other. I just hate seeing Susie get so distressed since she’s otherwise the sweetest cat.

 

[di and bob]

I take it Jonsey is neutered? Being intact could definitely ramp up any aggressive tendencies and amorous feelings.
Susie is acting perfectly normal. Females don't want unwanted attention from anyone, they are the domain keepers, the manner teachers, the ones who instill discipline. She is still unsure of herself, scared, from having someone new in her domain. Make sure she has somewhere high to go, a cat tree, or on top of the fridge (where my Chrissy spent many months). Tell Jonsey to stop it with a firm no, and give her protection when you can. she will eventually regain her confidence and teach him some manners. in the meantime, there will be screeches, swipes, growls, and tussles with a lot of hair flying, but as long as they don't draw blood and involve deep bites they are normal. My little girl still goes through this once in a while and she usually has the boys backing off. And these are her sons!

 

[rubysmama]

My first thought, too, is whether Jonesy is neutered?

 

[serpounce3087]

Thank you for the responses! Yes, Jonesy is neutered. After I found him I immediately took him to the vet and they confirmed he was neutered. He also doesn’t spray (thank goodness).

The impression I get is that he’s mainly wanting to play because he chases after the kittens too, and they chase after him. So, it’s almost like he doesn’t get why Susie’s not into it.

And yes, there are plenty of high up places for Susie to go to; however, she will usually go hide under a bed when Jonesy chases her, which I think incites him to want to play even more...

I’m glad to hear this is mostly normal, and I hope Jonesy will eventually learn to read Susie better and back off. The kittens will sometimes chase after her as well, and she makes it known to them that she’s not playing and they immediately get the message.

 

[rubysmama]

I think with Susie, the things to watch for are signs of her being stressed, or any change in eating, sleeping, using the litter box behaviour. Stress in Cats – The Ultimate Guide – Cat Articles

 

[serpounce3087]

Thank you for providing that. I will definitely keep an eye on those things. She seems to still be eating/drinking fine and using the litter box. I have 5 boxes (3 downstairs, and 2 upstairs), so I think that helps.

I also think I will create a safe haven for her like the guide you provided states. I can shut her in upstairs away from the other cats when I'm at work during the day. She'll have plenty of food, water, and two litter boxes all to herself, and it's the quietest place in the house. My only concern is do you think she might get lonely since she won't have contact with the other cats? Or could her not getting as much exposure to Jonesy actually delay her getting used to him?
I'm probably overthinking this, but I am an overly-concerned cat dad.

 

[di and bob]

With Jonesy being so new, I think putting Susie in her own area would go a long way towards making her more comfortable. She can mingle when you are able to supervise. MaybeJonesy can bond with the boys more and leave her alone. Just don't separate them too much or they will forget each other! All the luck!

 

[rubysmama]

Does Jonesy go in the room you are thinking of setting up as her safe haven often? Just don't want her to feel like a prisoner. Maybe try to make it Jonesy-friendly first, and make sure she seems happy there, as I did wonder if she'd feel lonely kept away from the other cats all day long.

Would you be able to set up a webcam(s) to watch what goes on while you're out of the house? It's possibly they, being cats afterall, sleep most of the day.